Accidental Parents
by VyeLoyomBrightwarrior
Summary: Tumblr user panchibust prompted that Rumple and Belle watch baby Neal for so long that he starts calling them mama and papa. I tried to write this sort of. It didn't turn out how I thought it would and I'm not sure what I think about it but I hope you enjoy.


**Prompt: panchibust on tumblr prompted: Post finale: as the charmings are too busy with emma being "the dark one", rumbelle ( with rumple awake from the coma.) takes neal as their own son… After a long time MM And david are ready to pick up neal … They discover that he calls rumple and belle "mama" and "papa". Can anyone fic this one¿  
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 **I tried to write this sort of. It didn't turn out how I thought it would and I'm not sure what I think about it but I hope you enjoy. Also, I'll take prompts to continue this story if you wish it.**

* * *

He flips through the book, frowning as he tries to figure this out. He knows there is important information in here somewhere. He can feel it. "Take a break," Belle tells him as she comes and places a plate down right on top of the ancient book he's reading. "It's lunch time." He looks up at her to see young Neal smiling at him as usual. He doesn't really know why the Charming's son likes him so much but it can only be a good thing. After all, he and Belle are the ones not off trying to track down the new Dark One. Neal has to spend tons of time with them so it's good that he likes Rumpelstiltskin, even if the man isn't quite sure why he does.

"Alright," he agrees with a small smile. Belle gets a triumphant look. "And if you want, I can…" He doesn't have to continue because Belle is already handing a happy child over to him. He frowns a bit, looking at her. "I didn't even finish," he tells her. She just smiles happily at him.

"I know," she informs him before walking back toward the kitchen, presumably to get lunch for herself and Neal. The baby smiles at him happily. He smiles back.

"It seems like Belle knows me too well," he tells Neal. "In fact, I bet she brought you while delivering my lunch because she knows I have a soft spot for you and would actually stop for you." Neal gurgles as him and he can't help but smile down at the little boy as he makes sounds that will help him learn how to talk. "You'll get the hang of that," he promises. "It takes a while but you'll get it." Neal gurgles back at him as though he's responding and Rumple can't help but chuckle at the cuteness of it. "Though wait to speak for your mama and papa, hmm? They won't want to miss it." Because as much as he wants Neal to be his son and even though he feels like that lad is thanks to the memories for Isaac's writings, the lad isn't his son. He's the Charmings' boy. David and Snow ought to be the ones to hear his first words and he sincerely hopes that they find Emma soon so they can be the ones there for that, if not for their sakes then for Neal's.

"Here you go," Belle says as she walks into the room, handing him Neal's bottle. He takes it and smiles at her. They've worked out a lot of problems since he woke up. There had been times where he was sure she'd just leave to be honest, but she hadn't. He's still trying to cope with everything, come to terms with everything he did as the Dark One and not having magic now. She still has questions and concerns, some of which he can't even answer for himself. But they are working through it and it's going better than he ever dared hope it would.

"Do you want to sit with me or Belle," he asks Neal after lunch as they both start to settle back into their researching. They may not be out searching for the new Dark One like everyone else, but they are researching it to the best of their abilities. He really thinks they might be onto something too. All these books they are going through are books only he has read, and he has the strong suspicion that the curse forced him to overlook things. He's only half paying attention to Neal but he is startled out of his thoughts when the lad speaks.

"Mama." He looks up in shock and Belle looks back at him, seeming just as stunned as he is. "Mama," Neal repeats again.

"Sorry but Mama's not here," he says, feeling a bit guilty for being here to hear Neal's first word when his parents aren't even around. Neal just squirms a bit.

"Mama," he repeats, only this time he reaches out for Belle. There is absolutely no mistaking what has happened. Belle looks at him with wide uncertain eyes as though he has the answer to this; which he does not at all.

"No, not Mama," he states even as he stands, bringing Neal over to Belle. Neal obviously wants to be with Belle at the moment, even if he is using the wrong name. Even if he really wants Mama to be the right name. "Belle," he informs Neal as he transfers the lad over to her. Neal looks up at them both, giving them a smile that makes it look as though he knows exactly what's going on.

"Mama," the boy repeats, and if he hadn't know that they weren't related by blood Rumple would have sworn that Neal inherited his smirk. Belle seems at a complete loss for what to do and Rumple isn't any better.

"Try to ignore it," he suggests as he picks his book back up. "We'll tell the others when they come to pick him up." He'd say they should call, but who knows what kind of danger that might put the couple in. No, that would be stupid. They can just fix this once David and Snow get back. After all, it's just one word. Little Neal probably has no idea what he's just said. And so they go back to their researching, trying to pretend for the time being that Neal did not just call his babysitter Mama.

* * *

Whoever watches Neal doesn't really get research done, which is fine. Neither he nor Belle really minds that at all. In fact, they each really want to spend time with the little boy. It might even be argued that they are giving him too much attention considering that they are the ones who will most likely come up with a solution to the Emma problem. Though the rest of the town doesn't think that. They think the sorcerer with the bright idea to tie the darkness to a human soul will be the one to save Emma. Of course they would. Still, it means no one is pressuring them to get work done so they can give Neal the attention he deserves. His parents don't have that luxury.

David calls saying he and Snow are exhausted after a run in with Emma which he refuses to elaborate on and asks if they can watch Neal for the night. "Well yes, but…" David had hung up the phone. Looks like he'll have to tell the prince about the latest development tomorrow.

* * *

He is sitting on the floor, something he keeps saying he ought to stop doing because of his leg but something he knows he will keep doing every single day Neal is here. He's playing with the lad on a mat they have for him, watching as Neal happily plays with his toys. It just comes out of nowhere. One minute they are playing happily and the next Neal has pulled his toy out of his mouth. "Papa." Emotions hit him all at once at the memory of another little boy calling him that. Tears stream unexpected down his face. "Papa." The worry is apparent on Neal's face and he pick the lad up them, hugging him close.

"I'm alright Neal," he says, voice trembling on the time derived from the other boy who used to call him papa. But even if this lad is so much like Bae in certain ways, he's different, oh so very different. And he may have started out crying because of Bae but now he's crying because a child loves him unconditionally. A child is calling him papa. And this child isn't even his. How is this fair? Belle comes into the room, bending down and enveloping them both in a careful hug until he's stopped crying. He moves away then, placing Neal back down on the mat. The child keeps playing as if nothing happened. Belle looks up at him in concern.

"He called me Papa," Rumple explains. "He called me Papa and I'm not his papa and…" He trails off, not knowing what to say. But Belle hugs him again, holding him close. He feels wetness on his cheek and it's not from his own tears. He hugs Belle back.

"I know."

* * *

He's just found the most useful information in the world. He should be happy. But all he can do is stare numbly at the page of the book. When the doorbell rings he gets up in a sort of daze, shaking off the new information. "I've got it," he calls to Belle. She's currently changing Neal's diaper.

"Thanks," she calls out as he nears the door. He sighs and pulls it open.

"It's about t…" He trails off the instant that he realizes he isn't talking to David and Snow. Emma is the one standing on his porch. He has the urge to slam the door in her face or even step out on the porch and shut the door behind him. But it's not the darkness in control at the moment. Well, not completely anyway. As he well knows, the darkness is always partially in control. But for the moment Emma is mostly in control and slamming the door in her face is not the best way to help her fight the darkness. "Want some tea?" he manages to ask, using all his willpower just to step to the side so she can enter his house where his wife and s-Neal are. Emma looks rather stunned but she nods, coming inside.

He leads the way to the kitchen feeling on edge and nervous. Not because of Emma, surprisingly. No, just because of what he has to do. "So I've been researching," he tells Emma as he puts a kettle on, turning to look her in the eye. He needs to see when the darkness starts to take over so he knows when to back off.

"I can tell you're scared of me," the new Dark One cuts him off, apparently not in the mood to deal with him beating around the bush. Just like her normal self. "And that's fine, I get it. I just really need your help with controlling this."

"I know," he tells her. "And I'm not scared of you, just what I have to do." She gives him a confused wary look then and it's like there are two people looking at him, one scared woman tired of fighting already, just as he had been at that stage, and one demon warily watching him, ready to strike.

"What would that be?"

"Let's not worry about it for now," he says as the kettle starts to whistle. He turns around, happy to be able to fix his attention on the tea.

"You're going to try to break the curse." It seems Emma will forever be blunt and direct, something that probably doesn't lend itself well to the blood lust of the Dark One. The tone is somehow both dangerous and hopeful though if he'd have to guess he'd say most people would only hear the danger warning in her voice. But having been the Dark One seems to be giving him more insight in this matter and he can hear the note of hope buried there like it always was in his voice as well.

"Not until after tea," he promises as a sort of joke. She seems to realize it for what it is and she chuckles a bit. He turns then with a tea tray, three cups laid out. Emma frowns at him in confusion.

"Is that David and Snow?" Belle asks. "Because we really need to…" she trails off as she enters the kitchen, baby Neal in her arms. "So not David and Snow then," she states without a shadow of fear or doubt. She doesn't even clutch Neal tighter. "Good to see you Emma." Emma looks back and forth between them as though trying to find out what is motivating them. But then she seems to just give up on that front, not able to understand that the two of them actually care about her. He gets that. She's had a hard life like he has and now, with that voice constantly telling you that you are worthless without the darkness coupled with your own self-loathing of said darkness… well it makes it hard to believe that anyone can care.

"Should we move to the living room then?" And so they do. Actually they all end up sitting on the floor, playing with baby Neal on his mat. Rumple is very conscious of the fact that he couldn't do much to stop Emma if she went to hurt her brother, but he also knows that even as the Dark One he would never hurt his family or children. So he trusts Emma with her brother.

They catch Emma up on what's been going on. She seems vaguely guilty about making everyone search for her and hurting them a bit, but luckily she hasn't killed anyone. Yet. So that's not on her conscious. She shares his opinion on the sorcerer. The man is not going to be any help. Something he now actually knows is a fact thanks to that lovely book. "Do you know how to break it yet?" she asks after Belle mentions their research.

"Not yet," Belle responds as he shifts uncomfortably. This draws the attention of both his wife and Emma while Neal remains blissfully unaware, waving a stuffed lion up and down in the air happily. Now he has to tell Emma. He was hoping to avoid saying that he had discovered a way because the curse is totally going to see him as a major threat. To be honest he thinks it could very well result in his death. He is very glad he hasn't had a chance to tell Belle yet or she'd be a target to.

"Yes, I know a way," he says, setting his tea cup aside. He can't bear the thought of the chipped cup being destroyed if he gets murdered, stupid as that sounds. "I won't do anything," he adds when Emma gets a murderous look in her eyes. "Not until we've had a chat, just the two of us. And not until you're ready." She regards him for a minute with a frown, but slowly nods. He opens his mouth to ask if she wants to step into his study when the doorbell rings again. Emma disappears in purple smoke.

"I'll get it," Belle says, getting to her feet much better than he will ever be able to and heading for the door.

"I bet it's your mama and papa," he muses to Neal and he slowly works himself to a standing position. Neal follows him with his eyes.

"Papa," he states, as though reprimanding Rumpelstiltskin for daring to call someone else his father. Rumpelstiltskin sighs as he picks the lad up.

"We're going to talk about that," he promises Neal as he grabs his cane and starts for the door, Neal held carefully in left arm the way he'd learned to carry Bae all those years ago. He makes his way to the doorway with Neal to see the Charmings standing there, talking to Belle. "Look Neal. It's your parents," he says. Neal looks out at them before looking back at Rumpelstiltskin. He doesn't even have to guess to know what's coming next.

"Papa," Neal proclaims. Belle sighs as David and Snow stare on in shock.

"What did you do?" David questions, obviously angry. And Rumple gets it, he really does. He'd be hurt too if his kid called someone else papa. Still, David has no right to take it out on him, especially not in front of Neal. So he hands Neal over to Belle as he steps in between her and the Charmings.

"Why don't you go get Neal's things?" he questions. Belle moves off without argument and he is again facing the judgement of the king and queen whom he's helped more times than they even know. "Let's take this outside," he says, pushing past them and trusting them to follow him to the porch. Luckily, the oblige him. He whirls around and Snow looks like she's about to say something but he cuts her off.

"Neal calls me papa and Belle mama," he informs them bluntly. "It started yesterday. I tried to tell you on the phone but you hung up too fast." David has the grace to look a bit ashamed by that. "Look, I know how hurt that must make you feel but neither Belle nor I have encouraged this behavior. It's simply that we are the ones around. We are the people Neal knows the best. We are constantly watching him while you try to help Emma, and noble as that is you are neglecting one child for the other. It is not my fault or Belle's that he calls us what he does and I would appreciate it if you didn't blame us for it." The Charmings look as though they've been slapped.

"I have everything," Belle announces, coming out with Neal and his things. David is surprisingly the one to move first, taking the things for his son. Everything goes fine until Belle tries to hand Neal over to Snow. The lad starts crying instantly. "No, it's okay," Belle coos, even as she steps away. "Go with your mama." And so it is that they are forced to watch the Charmings take Neal away as he wails in utter anguish.

"He'll be fine," Rumple assures Belle ten minutes after they're gone. It's the first time either of them had moved. "Really. He'll be just fine." It feels like he's trying to convince himself more than he's trying to convince her.

"Yes, you're right," Belle agrees with him. "He'll be just fine." That doesn't stop either of them from standing out on the porch for another hour.

* * *

The Charmings don't come back the next day. They send a text saying that they think they need to regroup and strategize better, and since they won't be doing anything dangerous Neal can stay with them. Rumple is very tempted to go over to their house and yell. How dare they not even call, or tell them that Neal is alright? How dare they when neither he nor Belle could sleep without Neal in the house since the lad has slept over for weeks? How dare they when he and Belle have picked up the phone twenty-one and seventeen times respectively about to call and see if Neal is alright? How dare they?

Belle makes breakfast. He hears her crying and comes into the kitchen. Her hand is shaking violently and in it is Neal's bottle. Oh. He forces his own tears back ruthlessly as he comes forward, gently taking the bottle from her hand and setting it on the counter. Soon his cane is leaning there too and his arms are wrapped around Belle as she sobs into him. "How do you do it?" she finally manages to ask him, pulling back to look him in the eye.

"Do what sweetheart?"

"Deal with losing a child?" It feels like being hit in the gut and he finds tears running down his own face as he thinks of Bae and all the times he's lost him. And he thinks of Neal and losing him, first to his real parents when Henry set things right and now again to his real parents after babysitting him for so long. And he thinks as they both cry, holding each other.

"You never deal with it," he mutters to her finally, voice trembling. "The pain lessons but it's always there." And then he can't speak so they stand in the kitchen holding each other, crying until they can't cry anymore. And then they stand there awhile longer.


End file.
